Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Agreed, I am in Houston and all the schools, and non essential city and county employees were closed/off Tuesday and the previous Friday due to the ice.
I would not like to be considered a "non-essential" employee.
Actually, people who think it's safe to drive faster than everyone else cause the most problems. We saw some footage on CNN about road conditions in MN with people driving, as they do up there, like bats out of H*ll. Of course, a few slid into medians, ditches, etc.
Lots of things go into the determination to hold school. Bus safety, how long kids might have to wait for the bus, etc. That's why schools close before businesses. Adult drivers can be responsible for their own decisions, but a bus full of kids is a different story altogether.
Austin area schools did not announce "closings" until after "school bus with 7 students slides in guardrail" went viral on the local stations.
Up until then it was a 2 hour delay.
I am in the South my commute is 37 miles one way. On the days that there was a possibility of ice....I did not go to work. Noone was forced to go to work or send their kids to school. Personal responsibility...
My mother would have lost her job if she did not go to work on Tuesday. She works at a daycare making not nearly enough money to do what she does - and at 2PM on Tuesday she was driving the daycare van to go pick up kids from the elementary schools. Even though the daycare closed early at 4, there were kids (and staff!) stuck there until 10PM. Luckily, my mom was able to go home and even the 3 mile commute took her 2 hours. She wouldn't have been able to walk because there are no sidewalks, ditches on either side of the street, and an 8 lane highway to cross - and how safe is it to walk in the street when cars can't keep control?
I am glad you have a job where you are able to stay home and not be penalized for it. I'm in the same boat. But you have to recognize that MANY people do NOT have that luxury. My mother works a very low paying job after a life of being a stay-at-home mom to pay the mortgage and my disabled father's mounting medical bills. She didn't get paid for Wednesday and that alone is putting a HUGE burden on her. She couldn't have not showed up on Tuesday because she absolutely would have been fired.
A friend's sister was made to go to work at the Dawsonville outlets on Wednesday to sell sunglasses. How many people do you think were in the market for sunglasses that day? She would have lost her job had she not gone in, and had to face a particularly dangerous commute to be there. Right to work state.
I am in the South my commute is 37 miles one way. On the days that there was a possibility of ice....I did not go to work. Noone was forced to go to work or send their kids to school. Personal responsibility...
Meh. I live 43 miles from work and have never missed a day for snow or ice, though I have been a few minutes late a few days. Be responsible, slow down a bit, be a bit prepared (carry boots, tow strap and warm cloths/sleeping bag, keep gas tank over half) and man up. You didn't go to work when there was a "possiblity of ice"? Who was your employer to tolerate that? The government? Around here a good dump of snow means getting up a couple hours early, firing up the tractor and plowing 1/2 mile of private road just to get to the county road. Oh, and carrying the chain saw to clear the occasional downed tree across the road. Not that big a deal, part of being a responsible adult.
My mother would have lost her job if she did not go to work on Tuesday. She works at a daycare making not nearly enough money to do what she does - and at 2PM on Tuesday she was driving the daycare van to go pick up kids from the elementary schools. Even though the daycare closed early at 4, there were kids (and staff!) stuck there until 10PM. Luckily, my mom was able to go home and even the 3 mile commute took her 2 hours. She wouldn't have been able to walk because there are no sidewalks, ditches on either side of the street, and an 8 lane highway to cross - and how safe is it to walk in the street when cars can't keep control?
I am glad you have a job where you are able to stay home and not be penalized for it. I'm in the same boat. But you have to recognize that MANY people do NOT have that luxury. My mother works a very low paying job after a life of being a stay-at-home mom to pay the mortgage and my disabled father's mounting medical bills. She didn't get paid for Wednesday and that alone is putting a HUGE burden on her. She couldn't have not showed up on Tuesday because she absolutely would have been fired.
A friend's sister was made to go to work at the Dawsonville outlets on Wednesday to sell sunglasses. How many people do you think were in the market for sunglasses that day? She would have lost her job had she not gone in, and had to face a particularly dangerous commute to be there. Right to work state.
Gimme a break. Only 10% of private sector workers are in unions.
The rest of those union workers work for the government.
Meh. I live 43 miles from work and have never missed a day for snow or ice, though I have been a few minutes late a few days. Be responsible, slow down a bit, be a bit prepared (carry boots, tow strap and warm cloths/sleeping bag, keep gas tank over half) and man up. You didn't go to work when there was a "possiblity of ice"? Who was your employer to tolerate that? The government? Around here a good dump of snow means getting up a couple hours early, firing up the tractor and plowing 1/2 mile of private road just to get to the county road. Part of being a responsible adult.
When you live in an area where it is normal to have snow, sleet and ice...you know how to drive in it. I live where we get ice/snow about once every 5 years. I do not work for the government...and part of being a responsible adult is staying off the roads that were iced.
@Tassy001: I work in a doctor's office. We are rarely, and I mean rarely, closed. Someone has to get to work. Interestingly, most of our patients usually make it in.
Hospitals operate 24/7 and NEVER close. There are people who have to get to work, regardless.
The point is that an employer CAN fire an employee for not coming in in the ice and snow, despite Tassy's claims to the contrary.
And how many stories have you read regarding this ?
I haven't read any and we've had two bad winter storms pass through the south in the past week.
You know what..they make due.
I was late to school on Tuesday. They sent my class to the cafeteria.
Some teachers didn't make it so we took in extra kids into our classrooms.
These teachers didn't get fired.
Did the employee call up ? Were they threatened to get fired if they didn't show up ?
My son is in walking distance to his job.
He got called on Tuesday to come in because the morning workers couldn't make it in.
None of them got fired.
Calling in saying that you can't make it because of icy roads is completely different then calling in with a phony illness to get the day off.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
